Construction tape apparatus



Oct. 31, 1961 B. G. MILLER 3,

' CONSTRUCTION TAPE APPARATUS 6 Filed Dec. 12, 1958 INVENTOR.

BILLY G. MILLER BY W FIG] HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,935,495 Patented Get. 31, 1961 3,006,495 CONSTRUCTION TAPE APPARATUS Billy G. Miller, Salt Lake City, Utah, assignor to Clarcie J. Seifert, Ogden, Utah Ffled Dec. 12, 1958, Ser. No. 780,151 5 Claims. (Cl. 156-526) This invention relates to that portion of the building industry which is concerned with the finished installation of prefabricated, gypsum wall panels having paper exteriors, the panels being known in the industry by various names, to wit, sheet rock, wall-board, etc., and, more particularly, supplies novel apparatus for cementing construction tape and simultaneously applying such tape when cemented over the junctions of adjacent ones of the aforementioned panels so as to cover by the tape the inter-panel interstices or cracks.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide suitable apparatus for containing construction tape and for simultaneously cementing such tape and rolling the same, when cemented, over panel juncture areas, with the flow of the cement being independent of the pressure (necessary for transporting stored cement to the applicator machine of the apparatus) to which the cement is subjected, and dependent solely, and in a linearfunction relationship, upon how rapidly the machine is operated by the user in advancing tape over inter-panel cracks, so as to assure a uniform deposit of cement on the tape regardless of cement pressure and the speed at which the applicator machine is operated; to provide means for advancing or feeding the tape at a rate equivalent to the rate of translative movement of the applicator machine over the wall board; to provide a cutting mechanism easily actuable by the user so as to cut the tape in a region in between the aforementioned advancing or feed means and the region at which the cement is applied to the tape, so that when the cut tape length is removed, the rolling advancment of the machine Will cause the tape to advance forwardly automatically so as to reach the cement application area and advance therebeyond to the application roller in an automatic manner; to provide a cement reservoir in the applicator machine which will contain a sutficient supply of cement to accommodate the rearward portion of the cut tape length when the tape is withdrawn from. the machine for rolled installation and the forward portion of the new tape length advanced by the feed means past the reservoir to the application roller of the machine, all of this without the normal operative rolling of the applicator machine itself; and to deposit the cement on to the tape at only a medial area thereof, leaving the edges thereof dry initially, so that when the tape is rolled on to the wall board there will be no exudation of the cement beyond the edges of the tape, thereby insuring a neat final appearance.

According to the present invention the apparatus includes, basically, a pressure pot for storing a suitable supply of cement, a hose or other flexible conduit leading from the pressure pot, and an applicator machine connected to the hose. The pressure pot is strictly conventional and may comprise the usual paint pot supplied with an air compressor. The hose or flexible conduit and its fittings are also of strictly conventional and serve merely to transport the stored cement from the pressure pot to the applicator machine. The applicator machine itself is provided with a rigid conduit member connected to the aforementioned hose and threaded at the remaining end within a regulator housing. Disposed within this regulated housing are a pair of intermeshed gears seated within respective, intersecting cylindrical cavities disposed within the housing. The clearance between the cavities and their respective gears is sufficient only to permit the gears to rotate therewitbin. A feed channel is disposed in communicative relationship within the regulator housing and between the rigid conduit member and the intersecting cavities. This feed channel is sufficiently wide so that, in the absence of an external torque applied to one of the aforementioned gears, the pressure will equalize omni-directionally at the cooperating gear surfaces so that the gears Will not turn. Accordingly, the gears with their associated cavities serve as a regulator (which conceivably could be used in other contexts) so that, and regardless of the pressure in the pressure pot, no cement will advance beyond the gears in the absence of their external rotation thereof. A regulated feed channel is disposed at the intersection of the cavities on the other side of the feed channel, and cement is trans ported by the gear teeth to this channel only when the gears are caused to rotate by the external application of force or torque. Such external torque is supplied by roller wheels which engage the subject, adjacent wall board panels and in rolling thereover will actuate a gear train coupled to one of the gears (designated as a drive gear) in the regulator housing. Accordingly, and since the cement flow rate will be independent of the pressure in the cement pressure pot, so long as the necessary threshold pressure is maintained, the flow of the cement in the regulated channel will be dependent solely upon the rate at which the applicator machine is rolled over the wall board.

Feed roller means are coupled to the aforementioned gear train and frictionally receive the construction tape so as to advance the free end thereof to an application roller associated with the machine. This roller is mounted on the springs above the machine wheels so that when the machine is actuated the springs will permit the roller to assume a trailing but in-line position with respect to the wheels so as to apply suitable pressure, via the springs, to the tape which is rolled onto the adjacent panel interstices. A cutting mechanism is disposed between the roller feed and the region at which the cement is applied to the tape. This cutting means is easily actuable by a string and finger ring arrangement.

A guide member is afixed to the regulator housing so that the two members form a slot to receive the tape. The regulated feed channel for the cement communicates with the tape feed slot and is provided thereat with a reservoir of suitable dimension to store a quantity of coment sufficient to accommodate the rearward portion of a cut length tape when the same is withdrawn for final application to the wall board and also the forward portion of the new tape being fed through the tape slot to the application roller.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a left side elevation of the apparatus of the present invention, portions of the same being shown cut away, sectioned, and illustrated schematically in part for purposm of clarity.

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation of the principal portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the cover plate employed in the present invention to cover and enclose the regulator housing thereof.

FIGURE 4 is an end elevation of the cover plate illustrated in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 55 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical section of the regulator housing employed in the present invention.

FIGURE 7 is a view taken along the line 77 in FIG- URE 6 illustrating the outlet orifice, the reservoir, and the roller employed in the regulator housing unit.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary view taken along the line S8 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary view taken along the line 99 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged view taken along the line lit-10 in FIGURE 2, illustrating the cutting mechanism of the apparatus.

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary view taken along the line 11-11 in FIGURE 10, illustrating in particular the contour of the return spring mounting ears and the pivot protuberances.

FIGURE 12 is an elevation of the knife blade e ployed in the present invention.

FIGURE 13 is a plan view, looking up from the bottom, of the guide member shown in FIGURE 1 as attached to the regulator housing.

FIGURE 14 is a plan view looking down upon the guide member mentioned with reference to FIGURE 13.

FIGURE 15 is an elevation of the inner region of the guide member, the same region being cooperative with an exterior surface of the regulator housing so as to form a tape receiving slot therewith.

FIGURE 16 is an elevation of a representative one of the eyelet screws used in the present invention to mount, in an appropriate manner, the knife actuating string. The eyelet screws and string (save for FIGURE 10) are not shown in the other figures.

In FIGURE 1 cover plate 10 is broken away at line 11, the area defined by line 11 revealing the regulator housing 12. The regulator housing 12 with its component parts constitutes the heart of the apparatus, and may be used in other flow regulator contexts. The regulator housing is best understood by reference to FIGURES 1, 6 and 7. The base 13 of regulator housing 12 is supplied with a threaded inlet orifice 14 to cooperate with the threaded end portion 15 of conduit member 16. Brief mention is now made with reference to conduit member 16 to indicate that its remaining threaded end portion 17 is coupled via hose 18 (shown schematically) to a pressure pot 19 (also shown schematically in FIGURE 1) which contains a supply of cement under pressure suitable to transport such cement through the hose 18 and the conduit 16 to any position where the tape is to be applied.

Returning again to a consideration of the regulator housing, the orifice 14 communicates with a feed channel 20, the same terminating at and being in communication with a pair of intersecting cylindrical cavities 21 and 22 and having a width equal to or less than the combined Width of intersecting cylindrical cavities. These cavities contain regulator gears 23 and 24, respectively, which may be of a spur gear or a helical gear type and which are intermeshed in a conventional manner. As is indicated in FIGURES 1 and 6, the cavities 21 and 22 are defined by cavity walls 21' and 22', bases 25 and 26, respectively, and at the other end by cover plate 10 in FIGURES 1 and 3. The regulator housing and the cover plate are provided with apertures 27 and 28, respectively, to accommodate the positioning therewithin of drive shaft 29 in FIGURES 1 and 2. However, cylindrical depressions 30 and 31 in the regulator housing and the cover plate, respectively, are all that are needed to mount the shaft 32 in FIGURE 1 associated with gear 23. See FIGURES 1, 3, and 6.

Returning again to a consideration of the configuration of the regulator housing 12 in FIGURE 6 it is seen that a regulated feed channel 33 is disposed in communication with the two intersecting cylindrical cavities 21 and 22, this regulated feed channel 33 comprising two portions, i.e. a main cylindrical portion 34 in communication with the cavities proper and an output trough or orifice 35, the latter leading to a reservoir 36 (see also FIGURE 7).

It should be mentioned at this point that the gears 23 and 24 in FIGURE 1 have a clearance within their respective cavities of not more than approximately a thousandth of an inch, i.e. sufficient only to permit the gears to rotate within their respective cavities upon suitable actuation thereof.

It is deemed advisable for an understanding of the present invention that the operation of the regulator housing and its associated equipment should now be given. Reference will now be made to FIGURES l and 6 in particular. In FIGURE 1 it is seen that, preliminary to operating the equipment, cement under appropriate pressure is transported from storage pot 19 to conduit 16 via hose or flexible conduit 18, the cement reaching point A (see FIGURE 1) in the feed channel 20. In the absence of the application of an external force to turn the gear 24, the regulator housing and its component parts will remain inoperative. This is to say the pressure exerted upon the cement by storage pot 19 will not turn the gears 23 and 24 either one way or the other in the absence of the external application of a torque to one of these gears since the pressure will be transmitted omnidirectionally to the gears so that a balancing out of the torques supplied to each gear will take place. Suppose, however, that gear 24 is externally caused to rotate in a counterclockwise direction. This rotation will produce a clockwise rotation of gear 23, thereby causing the transport of cement by the gear teeth of the respective gears. This is to say, the teeth of gear 24 in progressing in a counterclockwise direction will carry small quantities of cement, in the interstices in between the teeth, to point B in FIGURE 6. correspondingly, the teeth of gear 23 in FIGURE 1 will'progress in a clockwise direction and, in doing so, will carry small quantities of cement in the interstices between the gear teeth to point C in FIGURE 6. The progressive quantities of cement thus carried will become joined together at points C and B in FIGURE 6 so as to be transported in the direction shown by the arrow in the regulated feed channel 33. Accordingly, the cement will be transported from portion 34 of the regulated feed channel 33 to outlet orifice 35 and subsequently to reservoir 36.

It must be understood at this point that the regulated flow of the cement through channel 33 to reservoir 36 will be completely independent of the pressure to which the cement in pressure pot 19 is submitted. Rather, the flow will be dependent solely upon the speed with which gear 24 is rotated. Accordingly, consideration is now directed to the mechanism designed to rotate gear 24 in appropriate manner.

Gear 24 in FIGURE 1 is mounted upon drive shaft 29 in a press-fit relationship. Pinned to shaft 29 by pin 37 is idler gear 38. Gear 38, as shown in FIGURE 2, may include a collar 39 to accommodate the pin 37. In such event the collar 39 will be supplied an appropriate radial aperture (not shown).

The gear 38 intermeshes with drive gear 40, shown in FIGURES l and 2. Shaft 41 is journaled through apertures 42 and 43 of mounts 44 and 45, respectively, shown in FIGURES 8 and 9. In FIGURE 9 it is shown that mounts 44 and 45 include bosses 46 to serve as spacers for wheels 47 and 48. Wheels 47 and 48 are each composed of a rubber tire ring 49 and a pulley configured disc 59, the latter being supplied suitable axial bearing 51 as shown in FIGURE 1. Disc 50 of at least wheel 48 extends inwardly, in line with or past tire 49, gear 40 being mounted to the disc by means of screws S (2 or more in number). The shaft 41 itself may as shown be internally threaded at its ends so as to accommodate the reception of screws 52, these latter serving to fasten the inner races of the bearings 51 to the shaft 41.

It thus becomes clear as to the manner in which drive gear 24 in FIGURE 1 is caused to rotate so as to produce the cement feed hereinbefore described. The apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 is positioned in operation so that the wheels 47 and 48 in FIGURES 1 and 2 contact adjacent panels of Sheetrock, the Wheels straddling the juncture or crack therebetween. The operator merely applies sufiicient hand pressure to conduit 16 and handle 53 in FIGURES l and 2 so as to keep the wheels against the Sheetrock panels while advancing the machine along the crack therebetween. Wheel 47 in FIGURE 2 may be simply an idler wheel so that wheel 48, when rotating, will. produce the rotation of gear 40, the latter meshing with gear 38 so as to produce the rotation thereof and the rotation of gear 24 in a counterclockwise direction. Accordingly, the speed at which the machine is advanced over the Sheetrock juncture will determine the degree of flow of the cement in the regulated feed channel 33 in FIGURE 6 and, hence, in the amount of cement transported to reservoir 36.

In FIGURES 1 and 2 the tape mount 54 includes a clevis 55 having a conduit mounting portion 56. The latter is provided with a cylindrical bore which cooperates with conduit member 16 in admitting the same for securement via screws 57. Mounting portion 56 is accordingly supplied with apertures 58 for accommodating the positioning screws 57, the ends of the latter pressing up against conduit member 16 upon application of suitable, screw-driver pressure. The tape roll 59 is mounted within the clevis 55, as shown, and includes a pivot axle 60, the latter being constituted by suitable bolt and retaining nut (the latter not shown). Handle 53 is secured within clevis 55 by means of screws 61.

The tape 59 is threaded up in between the regulator housing 12 and cover plate combination and guide member 62. To guide member 62 is aflixed a support block 63 which is glued thereto or otherwise made integral therewith. The angulated surfaces 64 of block 63 are drilled and tapped so as to admit threaded end portions 65 of rods 66. The upper ends 67 of these rods 66 are fitted into springs 68. Fitted into the upper ends of the springs 68 are roller mounts 69. The roller mounts 69 are provided with apertures 70 which admit screws 71 into threaded cooperation with the threaded ends 72 of axial rod 73, the latter carrying roller 74. The roller 74 should be preferably of a spongy, soft material, save for its hollow core 74', since the same is designed for direct contact with the tape when cemented so as to roll the tape onto the juncture or crack separating the Sheetrock panels. When the machine is not in operation the roller will extend above the wheel in a manner illustrated in FIG- URE l by the solid line, roller-and-spring configuration. When in operation the roller and spring will be bent in a manner which is to the right of the viewer such as to roll the tape in a manner exhibiting suflicient spring pressure to accomplish the same. See the dotted-line configuration shown in FIGURE 1.

The manner in which the tape advances in the tape slot passageway created by the mounting of the guide member 62 to regulator housing 12 is best illustrated in FIGURES 1, 6, 7, 13, 14 and 15. The guide member 62 includes flanges 108 on both sides thereof which are afi'ixed as at 109 and 110 to the cover plate 10 (on one side and the regulator housing 12 on the other) by means of screws 66. FIGURES 1, 13 and 14 illustrate the contour of the inwardly cooperating surfaces of regulator housing 12 and guide member 62. Dotted lines (the intermediate extension of the tape) also indicates this slot passage configuration. A definite slot is established by virtue of ridges 75 in FIGURE 7, the same coming directly in contact with the associated face of the guide member 62. A cylindrical recess 76 is included in guide member 62 as is illustrated in FIGURE 15, the recess being designed to accommodate the positioning therewithin of rubber roller 77, the same having axle 78 which fits into apertures 79 and 80 of guide member 62. A circular recess 81 is supplied in one of the flanges 108 of guide member 62 as shown in FIGURE 15 to accommodate the positioning and rotatable movement therewithin of spur gear 82, the latter cooperating with gear 38 in FIGURE 1.

Cooperating with the drive roller 77 in FIGURE 15 is idler roller 83, the same having axle pin 84 which is mounted within lined apertures 85 and 86 in regulator housing 12. The regulator housing 12, itself is supplied with a cylindrical recess 87 to accommodate the mounting therewithin of roller 83.

Accordingly, it is seen that with the rotation of the wheels 47 and 48 and the associated gears, gear 82 will also rotate, thus causing the advancement of the tape through the groove formed by the regulator housing 12 (and ridges 75 thereof) and the guide member 62.

There remains to be mentioned the cutting mechanism of the apparatus. This cutting mechanism is best illustrated in FIGURES 2, 10, 11 and 12. These figures will be considered simultaneously. The knife employed in the cutting mechanism (preferably angulated for purposes of cutting-edge end clearance) is illustrated in FIGURE 12 as knife blade 88. Knife blade 88 includes a pair of ears 89, 90 each having apertures 91 and 92, respectively. The blade has a lower, slanting, cutting edge 93 and a return spring travel slot 94 disposed as shown. Mounted to car 90 at aperture 92 is string 95 (see FIGURE 10 also) as is shown in FIGURE 1. This string 95 is routed through eyelets 96 (disposed as shown in FIGURE 1) and includes at its end an actuating, finger ring 97. Accordingly, as shall hereinafter be eX- plained, when the string is pulled via ring 97, the knife will shear the tape 59.

Disposed through a medial portion of guide member 62 is the knife blade slot 98 as shown in FIGURE 10. This slot 98 is in communication with slot 99, the latter being disposed in the cooperating surface of regulator housing 12. In FIGURE 10, the knife is shown pivoted by means of pivot set screw 109, the same being lined through protuberances 101 and 102, of the guide member 62, the protuberances having in-line apertures. A return spring 103 is pivoted via pin 104, the same passing through apertures 105 of mounting ears 106, and the spring having a bent end portion 107 which laterally progresses through return spring slot 94 in FIGURE 12 so as to have a positive action relative to the knife blade. Accordingly, it will be seen with reference to FIGURES 1 and 10 that when the string 95 is pulled via ring 97, the knife will pass completely through the slot 98 in FIG- URE 10 and seat within slot 99 in FIGURE 7 so as to cut the tape. It will be noted that the cutting is performed in between the reservoir 36 in FIGURE 7 and the cooperating rollers 83 and 77 as shown in FIGURES 7 and 15. Thus, the rearward portion of the cut tape will receive some of such cement as remains in the reservoir 36 upon its passage through the tape slot, and, with the cut end of the tape being disposed beyond the two rollers, the actuation of the apparatus will cause the rollers to turn so as to advance the cut end of the tape roll toward the reservoir 36 to receive cement therefrom and to advance therebeyond to the application roller. Accordingly, the tape feed and the cement application features of the apparatus are automatic.

It will be noticed with reference to FIGURE 7 that the orifice 35 therein is medially in between the ridge 75 but is narrower in width than the distance between the ridges 75. This is for the purpose of insuring that the striplike layer of cement deposited upon the tape during the operation of the apparatus will leave dry edges on both sides of the tape so that when the tape is urged against the Sheetrock by the roller 74 in FIGURES 1 and 2, the cement will fill the crack, spread to the edges of the tape but will tend not to advance too far therebeyond.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and Scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for depositing cement on the underside of construction tape and applying, simultaneously, in a continuous manner, the cement laden tape to adjacent, Sheetrock panels over a selected, mutual junction area thereof and in the'direction of junction orientation, said apparatus including, in combination: remote means for containing a charge of cement under pressure; flexible conduit means coupled at one end thereof to said remote containing means for transporting said cement to an applicator machine; and an applicator machine means coupled to a remaining end of said conduit means, and adapted to carry a roll of construction tape, for depositing a layer of said cement onto the underside of said tape and, in a continuous manner, rolling said tape when carrying said cement layer onto and over the said junction area of said adjacent Sheetrock panels, said applicator machine means comprising means responsive to the translational movement of said machine over said junction area for depositing said cement onto the underside of said tape in a uniform layer for all cement pressures and rolling speeds.

2. An applicator machine, adapted to carry a roll of construction tape, for depositing cement on the underside of said construction tape as the roll unwinds and applying, simultaneously, in a continuous'manner, the cement laden, unrolled tape to adjacent, Sheetrock panels over a selected, mutual junction area thereof and in the direction of junction orientation, a source of cement under pressure remote from said machine, and a length of flexible conduit interconnecting said machine with said source of cement, said machine comprising: a regulator housing having an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice, said inlet orifice being coupled to said remote source of cement via said flexible conduit; guideway means for directing tape travel past said outlet orifice so that, as the tape progresses, the underside thereof moves in close proximity with said outlet orifice to receive cement therefrom; roller means coupled to said regulator housing for rolling said tape, when cement laden, onto the junction area of adjacent wall panels; and means responsive to the translational movement of said regulator housing in accomplishing the above mentioned rolling of the construction tape for regulating the flow of cement from said inlet orifice to said outlet orifice so as to deposit a uniform layer onto said tape regardless of cement pressure exhibited by said remote source and rolling speed, said regulating means including a regulator interposed between said inlet and outlet orifices and in communication therewith.

3. An applicator machine, adapted to carry a roll of construction tape, for depositing cement on the underside of said construction tape as the roll unwinds and applying, simultaneously, in a continuous manner, the cement laden, unrolled tape to adjacent, Sheetrock panels over a selected, mutual junction'area thereof and in the direction of junction orientation, said machine including, in combination: a regulator housing having an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice, said inlet orifice being adapted for connection to a source of cement under suitable pressure; guideway means for directing tape travel past said outlet orifice so that, as the tape progresses, the underside thereof moves in close proximity with said outlet orifice to receive cement therefrom; roller means coupled to said regulator housing for rolling said tape, when cement laden, onto the junction area of adjacent wall panels; and means responsive to the translational movement of said regulator housing in accomplishing the above mentioned rolling of the construction tapev for regulating the flow of cement from said inlet orifice to said outlet orifice so as to deposit a uniform layer onto said tape, said regulating means including a regulator interposed between said inlet and outlet orifices and in communication therewith, and wherein said regulator housing includes a pair of intersecting cylindrical cavities each exhibiting a cylindrical wall, and wherein said regulator comprises a pair of gears each pivotally mounted in a respective one of said cylindrical cavities and in intermeshed relationship, the spacing between the gear teeth of each gear and the respective cavity wall being sufiicient to permit the gears to turn within the cavities and transport said cement via gear teeth interstices along said cavity walls to said outlet orifice but not so large as to permit cement passage between the gear teeth outer periphery and the cavity wall, and wherein said regulating means includes a pair of wheels fixedly disposed with respect to said regulator housing and gear means intercoupling at least one of said wheels to one of said cavity gears.

4. An applicator machine according to claim 3 wherein said guideway means comprises a guide member afiixed to said regulator housing and defining therewith a slot passageway for said tape, said passageway being disposed in lateral communication with said outlet orifice, the width dimension of said Slot passageway slightly exceeding the width of said tape, and wherein are included a pair of pressure rollers journalled at said slot passageway and frictionally engaging said tape at said tape passageway, one of said rollers being geared to said gear means.

5. An applicator machine according to claim 4 wherein said guide member is provided with means for selectively cutting said tape between said outlet orifice and said pressure rollers, said regulating housing being provided with a cutting means recess, and said outlet orifice being disposed in the tapes travel path after said pressure rollers and said cutting means, in that order.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,258,322 Doellinger Mar. 5, 1918 1,752,898 Di Giacomo Apr. 1, 1930 1,862,440 Tacchi June 7, 1932 1,896,754 Ronning Feb. 7, 1933 2,192,290 ONeal Mar. 5, 1940 2,407,698 Guibert et al. Sept. 17, 1946 2,500,583 Smith Mar. 14, 1950 2,502,499 Ames \Apr. 4, 1950 2,787,396 Christensson Apr. 2, 1957 2,815,142 Arnes Y Dec. 3, 1957 

